Card cabinet and card therefor



y 0, 1933. M. w. BROMELL ,911,260

CARD CABINET AND CARD THEREFOR Filed May '26, 1930 SSheets-Sheet 1 MzZcobn L Z9 W Bram eZL May 30, 1933. M. w. BROMELL 1,911,250

CARD CABINET AND' CARD THEREFOR FiledMay 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 30, 1933.

CARD CABINET AND CARD THEREFOR Filed May 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z? 35 I L J /6 Mlf/VTM. fig/2002771 o L yWrwfleZZ.

M. w. BROMELL 1,911,260

Patented May 30, 1933 UNETED STATES PATENT oFFIcE CARD CABINET AND CARD THERE ?R Application filed. May 26, 1939, Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements in card cabinets and cards therefor.

It is well known that card filing systems are inconvenient when there are a large numher of cards. This is because some difficulty is experienced in finding a card and in replacing the same. In addition, cards are frequently misplaced, which is a source of trou- 'ble and delay.

The present invention concerns a card cabinet in which the card required can be released irrespective of the position that it has been placed in, and moreover such card will partly move out of the cabinet in a positive manner.

The foregoing effect is produced by having a card provided with a plurality of serrations or notches along one edge, a characteristic number of these serrations or notches being normally locked by bars that are released when the card is to be discharged. In addition, means are provided in association with each card whereby, on a releasing member being operated, the re leased card is forced out of its normal filed position, althou h the remaining cards are not so affected.

The invention will readily be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the card cabinet: I

Fig. 2 is a plan view in which the top and bottom have been omitted on the left-hand side for the sake of clearness:

Fig. 3 is a side elevation in which a side has been removed, also for the sake of clearness:

Fig. 41 is an elevation showing one of the cards and the manner in which its associated spring is operated:

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of three adjacent cards and the appurtenant releasing and moving elements:

Fig. 6 is a side sectional elevation:

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed part plan view showing one of the operating keys and the resetting key and appurtenant parts:

Fig. 8 is a similar view to Fig. 7, except that it illustrates the position when the op- 5 erating key has been depressed.

455,808, and in Australia my 30, 1929.

Referring particularly to these drawings, the cabinet comprises an arrangement in which the side members are referenced 10 and 11, whilst a central transverse member is referenced 12. There are a plurality of parallel locking bars 13 adapted to move transversely and longitudinally in corresponding recesses 13 formed in the members 10, 11 and 12. At one end, each of these locking bars is pivoted to a separate link 14, the other end of which is pivoted such as to a rod 15. Each of the other ends of the locking bars 13 is pivoted to a .link 16, the latter links being also pivoted at one end. By reason of the foregoing construction, it will be obvious that each of the bars13 will be capable of independently moving in two directions in a horizontal plane, that is to say, transversely and longitudinally. In other words, when each bar Vmoves longitudinally, it simultaneously moves rearwardly or forwardly, dependent on whether the direction of the longitudinal movement is from the left or the right. Attached to each of the links 16 is a rod 17 one end of which is pivoted to a link 18. The other end of the link 18 is pivoted to a short lever 19, that is connected to a shaft 20. Connected to the shaft 20 at an appropriate lower position, there is a short lever 21 connected to an operating rod 22', that in turn is connected to a bell-crank lever 23, that in turn is provided with an operating button 24. There will be a plurality of these operating buttons corresponding to the letters of the alphabet, and if desired to other symbols. Each of these operating buttons will be connected to a bell-crank lever 23, suchas the one illustrated in Figs 6 to 8, which in turn, as illustrated, will be connected to'an operating rod 22, short lever 21, shaft 20, lever 19,.link 18 and rod 17, connecting an individual link 16 and operating rod 13. The result is therefore that on striking any particular key, the various parts referred to will be operated, with the ultimate result that the corresponding look ing bar 13 will move longitudinally and simultaneously move rearwardly.

In juxtaposition to the whole of the links 16 will be a U-shaped resetting bar 25 (see 100 Fig. This bar is pivoted at the top and bottom of the cabinet and is also pivoted to the end of an operating rod 27, the other end of which is pivoted to a bell-crank lever 28 terminating in a resetting button 29. The resetting bar is connected to a small spring 26, that "tends ,to keep it in a rearward position, a tendency that is overcome when the resetting button 29 is pressed. It will be obvious that when an operating button 24 has been pressed so that the corresponding locking bar 13 has movedrearwardly whilst its link 16 has taken up the position shown in Fig. 8, then on pressing the resettingbutton 29 the resetting bar 25 will press against the link 16 and compel the lockingrod 13 and its appurtenant parts to take up the normal position shown in Fig. 7.

The supporting bottom of the cabinet is referenced 30. This is in two parts, of which the from half is *hinged-or supported so as tobe capableof being dropped as shown'in Fig. 6. ln fact, thereis aspring alwaystending'to drop the "front (the spring is not shown) There is a transverse cardunoving rod 31 adapted'tomove upwardlyfrombelow through acorrespondingopening formed in the "rear portion of the cabinet bottom 30. Such rod is lifted by a lever 32. One end ofthe' lever 32'is notched so as to engage in slidingrelationship with a bell-crank delivering lever The bell-crank delivering le'. ver'33 is connected to a -spindle with whichit n1oves, and such spindle 33 extends right acrcssthe front oftho machine. Gonnected'to suGhspindle-Oneach side of the machine is a cam34, upon which rests alever -35, which owing to its own weight an dby reasonofyits connection to the spring-hinged front half o'f'the bottom 30, moves downwardly when the lever 33 is moved to the dotted position shownin FigureB. The lever35 is connected to the front half of the bottom '30 of the machine, andisalso connected'to anupstanding link 36, the 'far endof which is connected to a bell-crank lever'37. "The bell-'crank lever 37 at its far end is connected'toalink 38,that in turn is connectedto-the end ofa transverse rod 39. Although it is only on I the'one side that the delivering bell-crank lever 33 6Xl3611ClS for operating'purposes, "yet on theiother side of the machineit has its counterpart for controlling the corresponding lever '31. His obvious that there will be two lovers -32 and 31" for controlling the moving rod31'at each end, two cams 3l,-two levers 35 and two levers or links each corresponding to 36, 37 and 38. y

As'the front half of the bottom 30 always has a tendency to fall down, preferably throughthe action of'a spring on theunderside (not s'hown),'itwill be obvious that the effect of moving the delivering bell-crank lever 33 forward will 'beasfollows. "The lever32 will be'actedon, and will raise the moving rod 31. Simultaneously, as the cam 34 takes up a lower position, the lever 35 will correspondingly be lowered, and as it is connected to the front half of the bottom of the cabinet, such front part will take up the position shown in Fig. 6 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Simultaneously, the transverse rod 39 wilLbe moved forward. The effect ofpulling the delivering bell-crank lever 33 forward is and their relativeposition being a Character- 7 istic-ofeach particular card. Actually, the cards be'forebeing cut so as to 'be-characteristic of the particular name or use to "which it is to be put, will have serrations corresponding to each. of the operating keys and appurtenantparts. lVhen a card "in its uncut cond-itfon is pushed into the cabinet,-the effect will bethateach andevery-one of the serrationsalong its=rear edge will be engaged by a locking bar 13. "To make the cards characteristic of the particular individual or object they are to indicate, it willbe necessary'to remove all the serrations other "than those giving the characteristic combination.

Thus, consider the card referenced -40 and shown in Fig.-6. The-card in question-is-intended to be I characteristic of an individual named L. E. "Shapcott. Thus, in the "arrangement shown, the 'serration 44 corre sponds'tothe control button L, the serration 4 5 to the-control button E, the serration 46 to the control button S, the serration 47130 the control button H, the serration 48 to the1c0n trolbutton A, the serration 49to the control button 'P,-the serration 50 to the control-button C, the--serration 51 to the control button -.O,

and the serration 52 to the control button T. Actually, if the =name of the individual concerned -had'one of the lettersduplicated, such would not be a material fact, as the likeli hood ofthe particular combination recurring with another name would be exceedinglymemote. If considered desirable, Whenever one o'f-the letters is duplicated in the name, the punctuation'mark could be operated.

Each of the cards has a spring associated therewith. This is effected by cutting away the card'near a lower corner andattaching sheet-metal housings 4-1 and 42, in which works a spring 43. V

The card cabinet operates as follows:

Assume'that'the cabinet containsa plurality of cards, one of which it is desired to peruse. In such cabinet all of the cards will beheld by their characteristic serrationsbelng engaged by the corresponding locking rods 13. In such case, the whole of the looking rods will be in vertical alignment. Assume then it is desired to peruse the card in the name of L. E. Shapcott. The keys, L, E, S, H, A, P, C, O, T are pressed, with the result that the corresponding control'rods 13 move rearwardly and free from the corresponding serrations in the card in question. That is, the corresponding locking rods 13 take up the position shown on the right in Fig. 6. The remaining locking rods are not affected, so that the whole of the other cards in the cabinet, although they may be released from one or two or even a few of their characteristic looking rods, will be held in position. The delivering bell-crank lever 33 is then pulled forward. The effect is that the moving rod 31 is raised. The front half of the bottom of the cabinet is simultaneously dropped, and the supplementary delivery rod 39 moved forward. The effect on the card is that when the moving rod moves, it presses against the spring 43, and as the card is otherwise free, the tendency is to tilt it. This tendency is favoured by reason of the fact that simultaneously the front half of the bottom 30 will tilt or move downwards, thus permitting the card to tilt as a whole, the front downwardly and the rear upwardly. After said card has begun to tilt, the rod 89 is moved against the rear edge of its corner, pushing on the card. In consequence, the card characteristic of L. E. Shapcott takes up the tilted position shown in Fig. 6, and so its position is immediately revealed and the card can be removed from the cabinet. In the case of the remaining cards, as previously stated, they will be held by all or at any rate most of their characteristic serrations being engaged by the locking bars 13, and the tendency to lift, due to the raising of the moving rod 31, is resisted, the effect merely being that the springs 43 are bent upwards (see Fig. 4) When the removed card has been perused, the cabinet is reset by the bell-crank delivery lever 33 being pushed backwards, thus raising the front half of the bottom of the cabinet, moving the supplementary delivery rod 39 backwards, and lowering the moving rod 31. The machine is brought back to the normal position by pressing the resetting button 29. which results in the locking rods 13 that moved to the rear to unlock the card in question moving back to their original and normal position.

It should be noted that cabinets could be built on in sections. Thus, another cabinet could be superimposed on that illustrated. In such case, the bottom of each shaft 20 would be socketed so as to fit over the shafts 20 in the illustrated cabinet. Connections would also be made so as to operate the moving rod 81 and hinged. front of the cabinet bottom. Furthermore, a cabinet could be placed at the side by connecting up the look-- ing rods 13 in the additional cabinet to the links 14 and other operating parts.

I claim:

1. A filing device of the character described comprising a cabinet having filing cards therein, a plurality of locking rods mounted in said cabinet and engaging corresponding serrations formed upon the cards for holding the latter within the cabinet, means for moving said locking rods to release the same from the serrations on the cards, a spring connected to each card and operable to displace the latter outwardly of the cabinet, and means 7 to tension said spring While the card is held by said locking rods.

2. A filing device of the character described comprising a cabinet having .filing cards therein, a plurality of locking rods engaging portions of said cards for holding the latter within the cabinet, means for moving said locking rods to release the same from the cards, tensioning means associated with said card to displace the latter outwardly of the cabinet upon releasing the locking rods, and means to return the locking rods to their normal locking'position.

3. A filing device of the character described comprising a cabinet having filing cards therein, a plurality of locking rods mounted V in said cabinet and engaging corresponding serrations formed upon the cards for holding the latter within the cabinet, means for selectively moving certain of said rods to release the same from certain of the cards, spring means carried by the cards and means acting thereon to displace the latter outwardly of the cabinet.

L. A filing device of the character described comprising a cabinet having filing cards therein, a bottom for said cabinet mounted to move downwardly with respect thereto, means for moving the bottom of said cabinet means normally holding the cards in filing position within the cabinet, and means operable to release said card-holding means whereby the cards may tilt outwardly of the cabinet following the movement of said bottom.

5. A filing device of the character described comprising a cabinet having filing cards therein, a bottom for said cabinet mounted to move downwardly with respect thereto, a plurality of locking rods mounted in said cabinet and engaging portions of the cards for holding the latter within the cabinet, means operable to move said locking rods thereby releasing the cards, a spring carried by the cards and means acting thereon to cause the same to tilt outwardly of the cabinet following the movement of said bottom. 7

6. A filing device of the character described comprising a cabinet having filing cards therein, a spring element carried by each of said cards, means engaging said cards and leaking-the same 'WithiII the "cabinet, means for releasingsaid'locking means, andmeans to tension =said spring whereby :the latter Will cause the cards to move outwardly of T the cabinet upon releasing the'locking means.

Dated-this ninth day of April 1930. MALCOLM WVALLACE BROMELL. 

